RESOLUTION ON GUIDELINES AND MEASURES FOR THE PROHIBITION AND PREVENTION OF TORTURE, CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT IN AFRICA 18. Ensure that whenever persons who claimed to have been or who appear to have been tortured or ill-treated are brought before competent authorities an investigation shall be initiated. 19. Investigations into all allegations of torture or ill-treatment, shall be conducted promptly, impartially and effectively, guided by the UN Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (The Istanbul Protocol)1. Part II: Prevention of Torture A. Basic Procedural Safeguards for those Deprived of their Liberty 20. All persons who are deprived of their liberty by public order or authorities should have that detention controlled by properly and legally constructed regulations. Such regulations should provide a number of basic safeguards, all of which shall apply from the moment when they are first deprived of their liberty. These include: a) The right that a relative or other appropriate third person is notified of the detention; b) The right to an independent medical examination; c) The right of access to a lawyer; d) Notification of the above rights in a language, which the person deprived of their liberty understands; B. Safeguards during the Pre-trial Process States should: 21. Establish regulations for the treatment of all persons deprived of their liberty guided by the UN Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment.2 1 2 08 Annexed to UN GA Res. A/55/89, 4 Dec. 2000, UN Publication No.8, HR/P/PT/8. UN GA/Res. 43/173, 9 Dec.1988 THE ROBBEN ISLAND GUIDELINES